Drive Thru POS

The last 18 months have proven the vital role drive thru operations play not only in quick service restaurants but also other drive thru operations like Starbucks. The narrative has been very simple. As local and state COIVD-19 mandates left many restaurants in limbo from full closures, limited capacity, to  take out only, drive thru fast food restaurants not only survived, but  thrived. This applied to international franchises like McDonald's to national darling In-N-Out to the local taco shop that had a drive thru.

In-N-Out's drive thru proved itself valuable again last week in Northern California in the midst of County mandates for restaurants to check each customer's vaccine status. As the fast food industry faces great labor challenges, the company chief legal and business officer said, "We refuse to become the vaccination police for any government." Arnie Wensinger continued “It is unreasonable, invasive and unsafe to force our restaurant associates to segregate customers into those who may be served and those who may not. We fiercely disagree with any government dictate that forces a private company to discriminate against customers who choose to patronize their business. This is clear governmental overreach and is intrusive, improper, and offensive,”

In response the Health Departments of San Francisco and Contra Costa Counties closed the restaurants demanding that the In-N-Out comply; however, within days all closed restaurants were open with [packed drive thru and take out only operations.  Ironically the City of Los Angles where the first restaurnat was established in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder in Baldwin Park will start its indoor vaccine check mandate today. Fortunatly for In-N-Out all o its restaurants in the City of Los Angeles have drive thrus with a majority of them enjoying outdoor dinining spaces.